


Four Way Street

by clotpoleofthelord (plantainleaf)



Series: This Crooked Fish [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: (sort of), Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Sexual Situations, Cunnilingus, F/F, F/M, Foursome - F/F/M/M, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Mentions of Pregnancy, Multi, Other, Partner Swapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-04
Updated: 2014-03-04
Packaged: 2018-01-14 10:38:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1263193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plantainleaf/pseuds/clotpoleofthelord
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The line of succession has to be clear, but getting there isn't always quite so straightforward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Way Street

It had to happen eventually.

The line of succession needs to be clear. Charlie knows this, has had it burned into her brain since childhood. And she knows what a mess a country without a clear heir can be.

It’s been over a year since the wedding and the clucking over her trim waistline has intensified the longer the country goes without an announcement of a Royal pregnancy. The court’s been full of whispers as to why, whether it’s her womb that’s barren or if it’s the Prince’s seed. 

It’s been on her mind, too, of course. She’s just not sure what to do about it.

Obviously, Charlie knows that it’s probably neither, and has more to do with the fact that they haven’t shared a bed a single time since the wedding. Cas’s male lover and her female one aren’t helping matters much, either, she guesses.

The last audience of the evening is finishing up, a representative from the Weavers’ Guild looking for Crown funding for a new kind of loom, and Charlie watches Cas assure him that he’ll get funding for his project.

 _He’ll be a good king,_ she thinks, fond. _Much better than his father ever was._

Everyone bows to them as the heralds shoo them out, and she turns to Cas with a smile. “Dinner?”

He smiles, eyes tired. “I have one more meeting, but I’ll see you there.”

Once a month the four of them have dinner together, alone, without any of the pomp and circumstance. They sneak from their respective commitments to Jo and Dean’s official chambers (chambers that are very rarely used).

Somehow Dean convinced the kitchen staff to help him install a miniature version of the palace kitchens in their chambers, and these monthly dinners are his only chance to cook, now that he’s no longer just a simple tavern owner.

But Charlie has a little time before she’s due for dinner and she’s learned from experience that it’s better not to distract Dean while he cooks. So it’s to her own chambers that she goes, ready to change out of the formal court clothes and into more comfortable ones for a casual evening.

Her quarters are her favorite place in the castle. Back home in Moondoor, their castle was small enough that she’d shared a room with one of her sisters, but here? Here she has plenty of space to fill. The main room is draped in wall hangings of reds and blues and greens, with books and scrolls carefully arranged on shelves that line the walls. Her table is intricately carved, something her mother made and that she brought with her when she came to Tortall. The chairs are of Tortallian make, with fabric imported from Carthak cushioning the seats.

Best of all is the bedchamber, though. It’s private, quiet, with a balcony overlooking the private courtyard reserved for Royal use. The only keys belong to her, her husband, and the Prince’s Champion.

The best part isn’t the privacy, though, or the security. It’s not even the location, though the balcony is wonderful in the spring.

It’s the fact that it’s not just hers, really. The hangings on the wall are a mix of Moondoor and Tortall, and the small table in the corner is built from a barrel of Harvelle beer. Jo’s tunics are mixed into the wardrobe and tossed casually over a chair. Charlie’s bow leans against a practice sword of Jo’s in the corner, and the blankets are woven with wool from Fief Singer’s sheep. And best of all, it has a door spelled to open into the Champion’s own bedchamber.

The door is cracked open now, a sliver of warm light spilling in, and a smile breaks over Charlie’s face as she takes in the woman lounging in a chair, sharpening a long dagger. “Hey there.”

Jo looks up, grins, and sets the knife down. “Hey yourself. How were the audiences?”

Charlie shugs, leaning down to kiss Jo’s cheek. “The usual.”

“Wandering cows, angry merchants?”

“Pretty much.” Charlie unclasps her necklace, dropping it to rest on a chest of drawers, and tugs off her jeweled rings one by one. Jo’s warmth presses up against her back, arms coming around her waist, and she leans back with a smile into the embrace.

“Need some help with that dress?” asks Jo, voice a low purr in her ear. 

Charlie shivers and relaxes back into the touch. “Mmm, yes please. Buttons should be no problem for a big strong knight like you.”

Jo snorts loudly. “You do that courtly thing way too well, love.” But her hands are deft as they undo the long line of buttons on Charlie’s back. The silk rustles as it pools at her feet and Charlie turns, stepping out of it and cupping her hands around the back of Jo’s head and pulling her close, fitting their mouths together in a warm kiss. Jo’s hands curl around Charlie’s shoulders, her body pressed against Charlie’s as she slips the straps of Charlie’s shift down until it joins her gown on the floor. Her hands are just coming to rest on Charlie’s rear when a voice calls through the still-cracked door.

“Ladies, you joining us for dinner or not?” 

Charlie sighs, regretful, and pulls away, hands ghosting down Jo’s breasts and stomach. Jo shivers and gives Charlie’s rear a firm squeeze before whispering, “I’m not finished with you,” and stepping back to hand Charlie a pair of breeches.

Taking them and pulling them on, Charlie grins at Jo. “Neither am I.” She pulls on a shirt and brushes past Jo, hand running along Jo’s thigh as she passes.

Dean grins at her from the stove when she enters. “Hey, Princess. Sorry for interrupting.”

“No you’re not,” she replies, pulling out a chair and sitting. “Cas around?”

Dean shrugs. “He sent Samandriel by with a message, said he’d be a few minutes. Hey, Jo. How’s my lovely wife today?”

Jo glares. “Annoyed at her cockblock of a husband, for one.” She sniffs the air. “What’s for dinner?”

“Tryin’ out something Sam’s friend from the Copper Isles makes. It’s got, uh, fish and chilis and spices and shit.”

“Huh.” Jo leans in, looking into the pot. “Smells good, anyway.”

The door to the hallway opens and Cas enters, face dark.

“Hey!” Dean pulls the pot off the fire and snags Cas’s arm as he stalks by towards the table. “Everything okay?”

Cas shakes his head. “I was meeting with my father about the new grain taxes.” He sighs. “He just won’t understand that our people can’t afford them. It’s the nobles who should be taxed.”

“I know, Cas,” says Dean, squeezing Cas’s wrist. “I know he’s your dad and all, but he’s kind of a douchebag.”

There’s a muffled huff of laughter from Jo.

“Hey, no Michael at the dinner table,” says Charlie, standing and grabbing four bowls from the cabinet and handing them to Dean. “Cas, want to meet tomorrow morning to talk it out? I’ve got some ideas.”

Cas nods, dropping into a chair and running a hand over his face. “Yes. Thank you.”

Dean sets a steaming bowl of rice and curry in front of Cas and kisses the top of his head. “Relax, your Highness. The door’s locked and your father doesn’t have a key.”

“Zachariah doesn’t either,” adds Charlie, resting a hand on Cas’s shoulder.

Jo pats the sword still strapped to her hip. “And I can take any of ‘em if they try and get in.”

Cas looks at Jo and chuckles, leaning back against Dean and reaching up to squeeze Charlie’s hand. “I’m glad the three of you are on my side,” he admits. “You’re a formidable group.”

Dean turns to fill another pair of bowls and hand them to Jo and Charlie, who take their places at the table, then fills his own, sets down glasses and a flagon of mead, and sits beside Cas. “So Jo. I hear Kevin’s going south now that his ordeal’s done with.”

Jo grins at the mention of her former squire, filling her glass and raising it in toast. “I can’t believe the kid’s all grown up and a _knight_. I’m gonna miss him.”

“You’re going to miss having him to fill out your requisitions, you mean,” says Charlie, grinning at her partner.

Jo elbows her, hard. “Oh, yeah, like you won’t miss his help planning the midwinter pageants,” she shakes her head. “He was a _great_ squire.”

“And he’s gonna be an awesome knight,” says Dean. “Krissy says she’s gonna make sure of that.”

“Krissy from the Griffon’s Mouth?” Cas is leaning forward now, intrigued. “How does she know Kevin?”

Dean grins through a mouthful of rice. “Oh, dude, you didn’t know? They totally have a thing.”

“A thing?”

“Yeah, you know, a _thing_.”

Cas narrows his eyes, sipping his mead suspiciously.

“Where they have sex.” clarifies Dean, rolling his eyes.

“Ah.” Cas swallows thoughtfully. “She’ll be good for him, I think. She’ll keep him from retreating into his studies and his work.”

Jo nods. “She’s riding south with him. Jody’s sending her to check out the networks in that part of the country and to make sure the Rogue’s authority still holds even though there’s no direct representative of the Capital.” She glares at Cas. "And seriously, I can't believe you haven't met her yet."

"I've been very busy!" objects Cas. "I have a country I'm learning to run." He shakes his head. "I haven't been south in far too long. What will she be doing?"

"I'm not sure. Checking things out, that's all she'd tell me."

“The Rogue has to have _some_ secrets, you know,” interjects Dean. “And I'm teaching Krissy to keep 'em." He grins. "Not that she needed much teaching on that. But seriously, the Royal family can’t know everything the Rogue doing. That’s kind of the _point_ of the Rogue.”

Charlie gives him an incredulous look. “Because you were so good at that.”

“Hey!”

She glances at Cas. “Dude, I was in the country for like two weeks before I found out who you were.”

“Well–”

“Yeah, but the new Rogue's not in love with the heir to the throne,” Jo interrupts.

“Thank the gods for that,” says Cas. “Jody is a lovely woman, but she’s not my type.”

Charlie pats his arm. “Speaking of which, how _is_ your brother, Dean?”

Dean grins. “Well, he’s moved into the Griffon’s Mouth with her, so I’m guessing he’s doing pretty okay for himself. I also hear he’s got some work for the Royal University. Cas, you heard anything about that?”

Cas pushes his empty bowl back and shakes his head. “It isn’t my project, but I’ll look into it. I’ve heard the University leaders discussing him, though, saying he’s one of the best they’ve seen in decades. They want him to come teach there, eventually.”

“That’s my boy,” says Dean, stacking his bowl on Cas’s and draining the last of his mead.

Charlie passes him her bowl and refills her glass, sipping at the mead and enjoying the warmth of curry, alcohol, and companionship mingling in her belly. She _loves_ these people, she thinks, a little hazily. Loves them. She knew she loved Jo, as her lover and companion. But there’s Cas, who’s her partner in ruling and who understands her perspectives and who stands by her side in everything they do, and Dean, who’s become her best friend and whose interests align with hers neatly and who reminds her to have fun and think of her own needs.

She follows Cas to the couch, settling back against the cushions. Dean plops down between them, an arm around each, and Jo sits crosslegged on the floor, leaning back against Charlie’s legs as Cas refills her glass and his own.

Charlie’s hands drop of their own accord, settling into Jo’s hair and stroking through the long, blond strands. She loves Jo’s hair, long and soft and curling just the slightest bit at the end. It’s grown out since the big reveal almost two years earlier, when it had been shorn just below her earlobes like a man’s. Now Charlie can sink her fingers into it, bury them in it as it shines in the firelight.

The sun has finally set, a soft purple glow on the horizon behind them, and the firelight and a few candles are the only light in the room. They cast a flickering glow on her husband’s face, deepening the lines around his eyes and mouth. Dean’s eyes glow a brighter green in the dim light, catching it and refracting it as a shimmer of emerald. It’s beautiful, in an abstract way. They both are, the Prince and his lover.

She and Jo have talked about the heir issue. She’s sure Cas and Dean have, as well. The fact that the Crown Prince’s tastes run to men rather than to women doesn’t make the succession any less important, especially since Cas is the only child of a king who won his title the bloody way.

She takes a deep breath and opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Her tension must telegraph across the couch, though, because Cas looks toward her, brows drawing together. 

"Charlie?" He asks, voice worried. "Is everything all right?"

She nods. "Yeah, it's just-- a comment I heard today."

Now he's tense, and so are Jo and Dean, all eyes on her.

"I overheard Zachariah mentioning what a shame it was that we'd not had any 'happy announcements', even after a year of marriage."

Dean rolls his eyes. “Dude’s a dick. It’s none of his business.”

“Well,” replies Cas, tense. “As Prime Minister, he’s directly impacted by the succession, more than most citizens. So it is his business, unfortunately.”

“Yeah, but you guys have been married a year. Just barely a year. You’ve got plenty of time.”

“But we have to face it eventually,” says Charlie, looking to Cas. 

Cas nods, face pale under his tan. “We do.”

There’s a silence that stretches, and then Dean tips his mead back and drains his glass. “Shit.”

Jo holds up her glass and clinks it to his before taking a deep swallow. “Pretty much.” 

“So, what, we gonna look for a spell? Maybe an orphan to adopt?” Dean asks, glancing from Charlie to Cas and back again.

Charlie shakes her head. “It’s the bloodlines that count, Dean. And that kind of magic? Not something I wanna mess around with.” She sighs, grimacing at Cas. “We’re gonna have to do this the old fashioned way, I’m afraid.”

“Lie back and think of the kingdom?” says Dean. “I dunno, Charlie. Cas, you think you can even get it up for a woman?” He flaps a hand at Charlie. “I mean, not that you’re not hot, Charlie, because, uh, _yeah_ , but Cas here is strictly into dick, as far as I know.”

Cas shoots him a smile. “I’m sure I can perform adequately if I think of you, Dean.”

“Ugh,” says Jo, rolling her eyes. “Adequately? That sounds like a recipe for some great sex.” She reaches up and squeezes Charlie’s knee. “This sucks.”

“No,” says Dean abruptly. “It doesn’t have to go like that.” He turns to Charlie. “It doesn’t have to suck like that, Charlie, I promise.” He sets his glass aside. “You trust me, right?”

She nods.

“Because it’s not right. You and Jo–you’re a team. And so are me and Cas. And something like this? We gotta do it together. Because we’re family. Fucked up, unusual, whatever, but _family._ ” He grins suddenly, a gleam in his eye. “Plus, I’ve got some experience with this sort of thing.” 

“You’re right, I think,” Jo says. “This involves all of us. But what do you mean, experience? Experience with what?”

Dean chuckles. “Complicated sex.”

Really, Charlie shouldn’t be surprised. Dean's had a lot of experience, or so she’s heard, and he’s made it clear that he doesn't prefer one sex to any other, just that he prefers Cas to anyone else. Jo’s been busy training for her knighthood, and Charlie’s been under lock and key since she hit twelve so her “purity” isn’t spoiled (not that that kept her from getting acquainted with various women over the years). And Cas hasn't been with a woman, not really, though his knights took him to a brothel for his fifteenth birthday. He'd told Charlie the story one evening soon after their marriage, about how he'd tried to make conversation instead of anything else and been thrown out, still almost fully clothed and not at all aroused. 

Dean leans in slowly, giving her time to back out, and kisses her, closemouthed, lips soft and smooth against her own. He's still got his arm around her shoulders and she leans into the kiss, trying to ignore the rasp of his stubble against her cheek.

Jo's head moves out from under her hand and she starts to reach for her, but before she can move Jo settles in her lap, a warm, familiar weight. She pulls away from Dean's mouth to lean her forehead against Jo's, breath loud in the quiet.

"We can do this," Jo whispers. It's all right." 

She nods, closing her eyes and holding still for a moment, drawing strength from Jo's presence and her reassurance. Then she turns, wrapping one arm around Jo's waist and keeping her close, and meets Cas's eyes. 

Dean is between them, one hand on Charlie's shoulder and the other sliding up Cas's thigh. His face is buried in the crook of Cas's neck, leaving a trail of kisses along the collar of Cas's tunic.

Cas stares back at her, pupils wider than usual, a flush rising in his cheeks, and nods.

 _We can do this_. She can almost hear his voice in her head. 

Jo is tugging at Charlie's tunic, now, hands skirting over Charlie's belly and grazing the underside of her breasts. They're warm, almost hot, and Charlie shudders at the feeling, losing herself in Jo's familiar touch. Her eyes are still fixed on Cas's, though, and in the corner of her vision she sees Dean pulling Cas's tunic up as well. 

Their locked eyes break for a moment as his tunic come off completely, baring a muscular chest and acres of tanned skin.

He's attractive, for a man, and there's something arousing, somehow, about the way he's flushing as Dean mouths down his chest. The thought occurs to her, suddenly, that they've been married almost a year and this is the first time she's seeing him less than fully dressed.

She can't help it-- she giggles.

Cas blinks, and Dean and Jo both pause in their ministrations.

"I'm sorry, guys, it's just--" she shakes her head, laughter bubbling out of her. "The whole kingdom thinks Cas and I fell madly in love a year ago but–” she tries to get a hold of herself, and fails, “–but I’ve never even seen your _nipples_.”

There’s silence for a moment, and then Dean bursts out laughing, followed by Jo. 

“What do you think of them?” asks Cas, so seriously that Charlie’s laughter fades for a moment, until the twitch of his mouth makes it clear he’s joking. The tension that’s built in the room cracks, finally, as he starts to laugh as well.

“Oh, you’re in for it now,” she says, diving across the couch and pinching one of the nipples in question between two knuckles.

He lets out a shriek, and Dean’s laughing again, chuckling into Cas’s neck as he spreads a hand over the Prince’s stomach. Charlie’s sprawled across him and he shoves her back, pushing Cas to follow her until he’s curled against Cas’s back and Cas and Charlie are face to face. There’s a wicked gleam in Cas’s eye and Charlie’s almost got enough time to scramble away before his fingers brush along her ribs at just the right pressure to be _excruciatingly_ ticklish. But he’s too quick for her and she presses backwards, caged in by Jo’s body behind her. 

The tickling quickly turns to something else as Jo’s hands come around her from behind and catch on her hipbones, and she struggles out of her rumpled tunic and tugs Jo’s hands upwards to cup her breasts. Cas’s hands brush Jo’s as they skitter over Charlie’s stomach cautiously. Dean’s hands are pushing at Cas’s hose, dipping into the waistband and tracing the trail of dark hair that gets thicker and darker the lower the hose drop. There’s a bulge there, growing and pressing at the fabric, and Charlie can’t stop herself from staring at Cas’s cock as it bobs free.

Jo’s pushing at Charlie’s clothing, too, and pulling her breeches off to toss them aside and grinding her own body against Charlie’s back. It’s not easy on the narrow couch and Jo growls in frustration, grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch and tossing it on the floor before tugging Charlie down onto it and kissing her long and hard, pressed together from knee to breast. Her thigh slips between Charlie’s and Charlie gasps at the sudden flood of pleasure rushing through her. 

There’s sound above them and then a thud as Dean and Cas land beside them, close enough that their shoulders brush. Cas is on his knees, moaning softly and thrusting backwards against Dean. They’re both naked, now, on their sides, glistening with sweat in the firelight, and Dean’s pressing slick fingers into Cas’s ass. He looks up and meets Charlie’s eyes, over Cas’s shoulder and through Jo’s tangle of hair, and she grins back at him.

Dean’s stroking himself, now, and shoving at Cas until he shifts towards Charlie and Jo. “Roll over,” he says to them, and Jo shakes her head. 

“I’ve got a better idea.” She pulls away, pushing Charlie up on her hands and knees, thighs spread wide, and turns to fit herself under her until Charlie’s face is buried between her legs and she can lap at Charlie’s clit.

“ _Shit,_ ” whispers Dean, eyes wide and flicking down to where his cock rests against Cas’s ass to the long line of Charlie’s back to Jo spread out below her. He swallows visibly, arms wrapped around Cas, hands trembling inches from Charlie’s thighs, as Charlie shudders at Jo’s tongue on her. “Charlie, I’m, uh, I’m gonna touch you. That okay?” 

She nods, pressing her hips down against Jo’s mouth and nipping at Jo’s creamy thighs. Fingers stroke beside Jo’s tongue, spreading her wide open and dipping inside. It’s almost overwhelming, combined with Jo’s tongue and Jo’s scent in her nose.

Cas groans Dean’s name and Charlie feels his cock brush against her, hot and slick at the head, and realizes Dean must be pressing into Cas. She tries to relax, dipping down to taste Jo as the head nudges at her opening.

It’s not a _bad_ feeling, not at all. In fact, with Jo’s mouth inches from it the cock feels almost like one of the glass rods they keep in the chest beside the bed. And as Cas slides deeper in, filling her, Jo’s hands curl around his thighs. She pulls him close until he’s flush against her and fully buried in Charlie, rocking with the rhythm Jo’s setting with her tongue and hands.

Cas’s hands wrap around her waist and his chest brushes her back as he’s caught between being speared on Dean’s cock and being buried in Charlie and the stutter in his breath tells her he’s nearly overwhelmed with pleasure as the four of them rock together. Jo’s writhing beneath her as her tongue traces along Jo’s clit and slips into her slick folds, and Dean’s hands are holding her hips just loose enough that they won’t bruise. The pleasure’s building in her and she rocks harder, letting the sensations wash over her, and it crests and she comes with a long shudder and groan as Jo bucks against her. Dean’s hands dig into her thighs as he speeds up, pounding into Cas, who follows her a moment later and floods her with warmth. She can only moan, sensitive and riding out the aftershocks, as Dean stiffens and comes with Cas’s name on his lips.

All four of them collapse on the blanket, Jo flopping over until she can pillow her head on Charlie’s shoulder. Cas falls beside her on his back with Dean curled into his side, eyes already drooping shut.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it,” he murmurs to Cas, who kisses him gently and pulls him closer.

His other hand reaches out and gropes for Charlie’s, holding it tightly as he drifts into sleep.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is a complicated situation, and I'd just like to add an author's note here to say that it's possible to enjoy acts with people you're not typically attracted to (say, Charlie as a lesbian having sex with Cas), especially if your partner is involved and there's trust and love between all parties. It doesn't change her identity, or invalidate it in any way. They're adults who understand what's expected and needed of them for the good of their kingdom, in this context, and like Charlie says, in this situation it's almost like having a new toy to play with rather than being intimate with a man's physical body.
> 
> I know there's a tendency in fandom sometimes to erase female sexuality, especially canonically queer women, in favor of the men's. That's why this story had to be from Charlie's POV, and why I think it's important to be clear about what this story means for her as a queen, and more importantly, as a queer woman.


End file.
